Jim Kirkwood - Nightshade In Eden (c) 2007 Jim Kirkwood
Artist....: Jim Kirkwood
Album.....: Nightshade In Eden
Type......: Album
Source....: CDDA
Tracks....: 02
Genre.....: Electronic
Label.....: Jim Kirkwood
Catalogue#: D.AM.26
Encoder...: LAME 3.97
Quality...: VBR kbps / 44.1KHz / Joint-Stereo
URL.......: www.synthmusicdirect.com
Tracklist:
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01 Children Don't Play Here 16:06
02 Nightshade In Eden 46:09
Total:78,3 MB / 62:15 min
Release Notes:
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Jim Kirkwood is a very interesting character who creates Berlin School
Electronic Music with a dark twist. And on dark themes too. Sort of
Gothic synthetic drive if you like. Maybe it's not very original
musically, but thematically it is, as well as in execution. I highly
recommend it, but then again, I love dark music. It's not as scary as
some of the Dark Ambient stuff, but still not for the faint-hearted.
Lot's of raw energy here, sort of like Phaedra but usually more
energetic.
An appropriately melancholy double bass refrain gets the opener
'Children Don't Play Here' to a mournful start. Flutey synth heightens
the sadness. This is exquisite darkly beautiful stuff. Slow funereal
drums carry us gently forward. The pace really starts to increase
however with the introduction of the first sequence, a second following
quickly on its heels. Sonic whooshes fly like spectres streaking across
the sky. Gradually the intensity builds until the ninth minute where we
get a moment of gentle reflection before the tempo quickens once more,
though never quite to the previous level, thus allowing a moody
attitude to seep in.
The mammoth forty-six minute title track is next and immediately we are
plunged into dark slithering realms with just a little lonesome flute
providing subtle relief from the malevolent brooding atmospherics.
Apocalyptic drum flourishes break out, probably heralding the arrival
of some all-powerful being. This feeling of power is emphasised still
further by a strident laser shard lead line, threatening all that would
appose it. All is then instantly cut away just leaving metallic windy
pads then a reverberating drone. This is incredible 'visual' stuff (Jim
really should have done the soundtrack to Lord of the Rings!). Then
just when my defences are down the entire vast arsenal from before is
redeployed in a fraction of a second- giving me a near coronary! This
return is short lived however as we descend once more to eerie
atmospherics. There is a difference this time however as soft angelic
pads impart a lovely contrasting softness. An incredibly rapid, and
quite wonderful, sequence now spews forth, followed by another of equal
pace and stature. Absolutely awesome! Things morph nicely until the
sixteenth minute where gradually the various levels are stripped back
An even more devastating sequence and a brace of exciting lead lines
take up the slack however and we once again feel the foundations
shaking. By the twenty-second minute the shockwaves have passed and we
are left in a warm shimmering environment, strange creatures once again
showing their scaly heads. A slow four note melodic loop adds a little
structure then fades away like the sun emerging then disappearing
behind a cloud. It repeats this performance, the second time followed
by tranquil flute. With less than fifteen minutes to go a pulse starts
to echo out and around this forms the subtlest of percussion lines
which itself provides the structure through which the next sequence
forms, weaving round it like ivy clinging to an ancient long forgotten
statue. Right on cue a second sequence emerges and it seems to me that
we are readying ourselves for a final surge and this is indeed the case
as things go completely ballistic in a wall of pulsations and wonderful
solos. Fan bl**dy tastic! (DL)
-SMD